THE CHRISTMAS STAR
On the night of December 21st, I stood out in my garden and looked up at the brightest star in the heavens. Of course it wasn’t really a star, it was the convergence of two planets — Jupiter and Saturn
THANKSGIVING 2020
Thanksgiving has, for most of my life, been a difficult holiday. Growing up, the tensions and turmoil in my home didn’t take a break when the holidays rolled around. In fact, they often got worse. Thanksgiving, being an occasion that
WHAT MY FATHER WOULD SAY TO AMERICA
It’s been a common occurrence in my life for years – people telling me they miss my father. But from the rancor of the campaign to the new dawn of Biden’s win, I’ve heard it much more often. I’ve always
THE NEIGHBOR WHO WON’T WEAR A MASK
She lives one street over from me. Years ago, we walked our dogs together for a brief time, until I realized how self-consumed she is. There were also some racist comments from her that I found offensive. I have spent
THAT EMPATHY THING
One of the dominant themes of the Democratic Convention has been Joe Biden’s natural empathy. It flows from his faith, his humanity, the grief he has suffered in his life, and it’s been evident throughout his political career. A big
THE GREAT UNMASKING
There is an undeniable fact about tragedies and trying times – they reveal people. They strip away niceties, facades, pretentions, and show with stunning clarity who people really are underneath. Sometimes we see courage, resilience, selflessness that had previously
HATRED IS A VIRUS TOO
Yesterday, someone shot a pellet gun through the window of my friend’s business. The bullet hole was next to a sign that identified the business as black-owned, a sign he put up when everything around was being looted and destroyed
A COUNTRY WITHOUT LEADERSHIP
Beneath the sounds of chanting and yelling, of breaking glass and stores being looted, is the sound of grief. America watched George Floyd being murdered by a police officer who had his hands in his pockets like he was at
CITIES IN RUIN
Much of the city I live in was decimated last night. I live in Santa Monica. Businesses I’ve frequented, the Optometrist I went to for many years – all broken into, smashed to bits, looted. A small restaurant several doors
LOOKING FOR AMERICA
Recently, a friend and I were talking about a very destructive, mean-spirited person and my friend asked if I had any thoughts about what made them that way. I replied that I didn’t care what might have gone awry in